Class of 2016...It's almost our turn!!!!!!

[Minnerbelle]

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so there really didn't seem to be any advantage to turning in your application at the beginning of the summer since those schools didn't even start sending out notifications of complete applications until late Fall. So if your concern is the number of hours in your app, why not fill most of it out, but wait to submit until September when you could include a whole summers worth of extra vet experience hours?

Great point! This is one of the bigger misconceptions out there about vet school application. You want to make sure that you leave enough time (1-2 weeks) from the deadline to be sure you have time to recover from technological glitches and stuff, but otherwise no biggie to wait. I know I didn't submit my supplementals for most of my schools until the day or two before the deadline. Just makes sure that you get your GRE scores and transcripts sent, and notify your LOR writers as early as you can. Otherwise, the rest of your app can totally wait.

 

[BeagleVet]

WICHE isn't named for the states it includes... (what state starts with an E anyway?)

It's the western interstate commission for higher education or smth...

ETA: it includes MT, NM, UT, ND, SD, HI, AK, NV, AZ, WY, MT, CA, and WA... nothing form the east coast at all.

hehe my bad, I confused WICHE with other contract cooperations from the schools I applied to...I mentioned connecticut because it was a contract state for reduced tuition at ISU, you can ignore that part of my response.

 

[HelloNello]

To be honest I don't know anything about WICHE besides the name. I always thought it was an agreement for West coast states without vet schools to have spots in West coast states with vet schools...

Maybe I should look into that...

hmmmmm

 

[Psorophoraferox]

WICHE isn't named for the states it includes... (what state starts with an E anyway?)

East Virginia, but no one calls it that? 😀

 

[tuckervet]

Great point! This is one of the bigger misconceptions out there about vet school application. You want to make sure that you leave enough time (1-2 weeks) from the deadline to be sure you have time to recover from technological glitches and stuff, but otherwise no biggie to wait. I know I didn't submit my supplementals for most of my schools until the day or two before the deadline. Just makes sure that you get your GRE scores and transcripts sent, and notify your LOR writers as early as you can. Otherwise, the rest of your app can totally wait.

I'd like to second this. Both years I planned to have everything done and turned in so early, and it never happened, but that didn't seem to make any difference in interview invites. You don't want to wait to the last minute to start, and you should definitely allow time for computer problems, but as long as it is submitted with all required materials before the deadline, you're good.

 

[tuckervet]

Hey guys!

Applying to UF (IS), tufts, tuskeegee, iowa, NC, and UGA.

I feel like applying is kind of pointless since I have so few vet hrs, (I'll only have about 300, some large animal, some small animal, and some rehab)... I feel like i'm applying with nothing but hope that somebody will think I show some sort of potential... 🙁

I wish you all such good luck though! Even though I'm applying this cycle, i think i'm more of a 2017 hopeful. lol

I strongly recommend that you look at a school's statistics before committing to applying there (pupsNponies, I'm just using your post as an example, hope that's ok! this is really meant for anyone applying next year). For example, I believe UGA has contract seats for Delaware, South Carolina and West Virginia, but other than that it is very competitive for OOS. In the past 6 years, they have only taken 1 student for four of those classes, and for 2 of those years they did not have any OOS students. So I suggest looking at how many OOS are enrolled every year, and what percent of the total OOS applicants are enrolled.

 

[PreVetBeaver]

How many pre-reqs will you still have to finish the year that you are applying? I still will have to finish a full year of physics and 2 quarters of biochemistry. Is that too many unfinished courses? I know a lot of people say that you should only have 2 unfinished courses, but I will have 5 🙁.

Any ideas?

 

[Ricegrad]

How many pre-reqs will you still have to finish the year that you are applying? I still will have to finish a full year of physics and 2 quarters of biochemistry. Is that too many unfinished courses? I know a lot of people say that you should only have 2 unfinished courses, but I will have 5 🙁.

Any ideas?

Each school has their own requirement. For example, I applied this year, taking physics 1 and 2, biochemistry 1 and 2, animal science, and animal nutrition. I was accepted to Texas A&M, provided that I finish all the pre-reqs by the end of the spring semester. Take a look at the veterinary medical school requirements at http://www.aavmc.org/Publications/VMSAR.aspx.

 

[PreVetBeaver]

Each school has their own requirement. For example, I applied this year, taking physics 1 and 2, biochemistry 1 and 2, animal science, and animal nutrition. I was accepted to Texas A&M, provided that I finish all the pre-reqs by the end of the spring semester. Take a look at the veterinary medical school requirements at http://www.aavmc.org/Publications/VMSAR.aspx.

That's good news. Thanks for your help. Were you accepted at any other schools? What was your GPA and experience like at the time of your application?

 

[Ricegrad]

That's good news. Thanks for your help. Were you accepted at any other schools? What was your GPA and experience like at the time of your application?

I didn't apply to any other schools. I didn't expect to get accepted this cycle- I was going to apply and then do a file review to see what I should focus on improving. My overall GPA was 3.9, science GPA 3.82, and GPA of the last 45 hours 3.77. My GRE scores were 680 verbal, 760 quantitative, and 4.5 analytical. I had around 100 hours of research, 200 hours of exotic animal experience, 1100 hours of SA experience, and another 1200 hours of volunteer work in shelters. I think, in my case, my GPA and GRE scores helped make up for the fact that I still had quite a few pre-reqs to complete. Texas A&M requires more than 60 hours of pre-reqs though, so I had more than 75% of them already done at the time of application. If taking a pre-req or two over the summer is possible, I would highly recommend it. I knocked out organic chemistry 1 and 2 and calculus last summer.

 

[that redhead]

How many pre-reqs will you still have to finish the year that you are applying? I still will have to finish a full year of physics and 2 quarters of biochemistry. Is that too many unfinished courses? I know a lot of people say that you should only have 2 unfinished courses, but I will have 5 🙁.

Any ideas?

It depends on the school. Some schools won't even allow you to be taking pre-reqs in your year of application. I was taking gen chem II and gen chem II lab in the fall and I'm taking my biochemistry and statistics now. Not a problem for me, but I would check your schools first.

 

[bbeventer]

When is everyone planning on taking the GRE? I think I am going to arrange for early June? Give me enough time to get plenty of prep time after school in before sitting for the exam.

 

[AngSchmange]

Each school has their own requirement. For example, I applied this year, taking physics 1 and 2, biochemistry 1 and 2, animal science, and animal nutrition. I was accepted to Texas A&M, provided that I finish all the pre-reqs by the end of the spring semester. Take a look at the veterinary medical school requirements at http://www.aavmc.org/Publications/VMSAR.aspx.

The VMSAR is SERIOUSLY awesome, everyone should read it before applying.

RiceGrad, are you a Texas resident or OOS? Much congrats!!

 

[lostbunny]

A girl in my undergrad applied to all 25 in the US.

man I can't believe that! you Americans are so lucky that you can apply to all the schools in the country... in Canada we can only apply if we're a resident. So essentially (in most circumstances), you can really only apply to one vet school of the 5.

 

[AngSchmange]

When is everyone planning on taking the GRE? I think I am going to arrange for early June? Give me enough time to get plenty of prep time after school in before sitting for the exam.

Be careful! Look at your schools, some either will or won't (or don't care) accept the new GRE, so make sure you take the one you need. I'm assuming everyone should take the GRE that is right now before the new one is instituted.

 

[bbeventer]

Be careful! Look at your schools, some either will or won't (or don't care) accept the new GRE, so make sure you take the one you need. I'm assuming everyone should take the GRE that is right now before the new one is instituted.

I know, the new GRE doesn't go into effect until August 1st though, after the deadline to have scores in.

I think I am going to take it in early June, if I don't get the score I want that will give me time to still take it in July.

 

[Howister]

It seems as if it's a good idea to take the GRE in May/June in case you want to take it again (recommended by Davis). The earlier the better. I am applying (OMG 🙂 2016 and haven't taken it yet, but have 11 books on it that I have been collecting/reading/reviewing for the past three years.

I am having trouble figuring out which schools to apply to other than my in state (Davis) and I have been researching for a very long time. ....so here is a question to everyone at their respective schools: What are the strengths and weaknesses of your school? (including weather/cost of living).

**sorry for such a broad question 😛 ****

 

[that redhead]

I am having trouble figuring out which schools to apply to other than my in state (Davis) and I have been researching for a very long time. ....so here is a question to everyone at their respective schools: What are the strengths and weaknesses of your school? (including weather/cost of living).

**sorry for such a broad question 😛 ****

There are more efficient ways to make your list rather than polling people and getting only opinions. Depending on your personal stats (GPA, GRE, experience, etc) you can narrow down a list of schools that should focus more on your particular strengths. You can search these through the search function here at SDN 🙂 Also, weather can be loosely grouped by geographic region and you can select based on that, if that's important to you. Basically, make a list of things that are important in a potential school and go from there - you really can find out a lot if you set aside the time for a thorough search.

 

[Psorophoraferox]

When is everyone planning on taking the GRE? I think I am going to arrange for early June? Give me enough time to get plenty of prep time after school in before sitting for the exam.

I'm scheduled for end of May. It'll be my first time taking it. If you haven't already registered, register NOW. Since the format is changing at the end of the summer, everyone's taking it earlier than usual this year -- when I signed up in *February*, my preferred test location only had a handful of open seats left.

If I decide to retake this version in June or July, I'll probably need to drive an hour+ to a testing center, because the local one likely won't have any openings left. Ugh.

And then there's the possibility that if (sadly, more likely "when"... :/) I don't get accepted to any schools this year, some or even all of them will require the new GRE format next application cycle. I know this is true for at least one of my top picks (LSU -- see: http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/admissions/gre.asp).

Stupid new GRE!

 

[AuRevoirFinance]

And then there's the possibility that if (sadly, more likely "when"... :/) I don't get accepted to any schools this year, some or even all of them will require the new GRE format next application cycle. I know this is true for at least one of my top picks (LSU -- see: http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/admissions/gre.asp).

I personally hope LSU rethinks this. Folks take the GRE with the full expectation that their scores will be good for five years. It doesn't strike me as appropriate to require recent test takers to take the "new" GRE in future cycles when their "old" GRE scores should remain perfectly valid.

 

[FutureDVM98]

Hi everyone!! I just recently join SDN but I have been stalking threads for the longest!! I hope to apply for vet school for the class of 2016. I hope to get in!!

 

[Howister]

There are more efficient ways to make your list rather than polling people and getting only opinions. Depending on your personal stats (GPA, GRE, experience, etc) you can narrow down a list of schools that should focus more on your particular strengths. You can search these through the search function here at SDN 🙂 Also, weather can be loosely grouped by geographic region and you can select based on that, if that's important to you. Basically, make a list of things that are important in a potential school and go from there - you really can find out a lot if you set aside the time for a thorough search.

True, I've done a ton of research, but I was just being lazy and hoping for some opinions so I didn't have to search through the forums 🙂

 

[bbeventer]

I'm scheduled for end of May. It'll be my first time taking it. If you haven't already registered, register NOW. Since the format is changing at the end of the summer, everyone's taking it earlier than usual this year -- when I signed up in *February*, my preferred test location only had a handful of open seats left.

If I decide to retake this version in June or July, I'll probably need to drive an hour+ to a testing center, because the local one likely won't have any openings left. Ugh.

And then there's the possibility that if (sadly, more likely "when"... :/) I don't get accepted to any schools this year, some or even all of them will require the new GRE format next application cycle. I know this is true for at least one of my top picks (LSU -- see: http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/admissions/gre.asp).

Stupid new GRE!

Wow I will defiantly get registered then, I wasnt planning on signing up until later, but I guess not better time then the present

 

[nuevaburra]

Totally off-topic, but, me and the SO are buying a house!!!! This means I've convinced him to stay in Madison, which gives me a much better chance of getting into vet school here, where I've done my undergrad and am a WI resident, than moving to Cornell and hoping to get in OOS there. I am so happy that I convinced him to stay, AND that we are buying our first house!

 

[CurrySpice]

... I have recovered after my rant earlier in the thread and am getting excited about my application!

Picked 4 great schools to apply to, wrote my PS, compiled my experience... now VMCAS just needs to open 🙂

 

[psilovethomas]

... I have recovered after my rant earlier in the thread and am getting excited about my application!

Picked 4 great schools to apply to, wrote my PS, compiled my experience... now VMCAS just needs to open 🙂

Jeez, you are way ahead! Props to you! I personally did not write my PS until a week before I submitted my app...🙄

 

[deleted266066]

.

 

[EllieGirl89]

Psh, I fininshed my last question for the Ohio supplemental 8 hours before it was due. Not a moment too soon, that's me 😀

 

[CurrySpice]

Jeez, you are way ahead! Props to you! I personally did not write my PS until a week before I submitted my app...🙄

I will be out of the country from June 6- Jan.31, except for a few days in late July. So... I need to plan ahead in order to have my application completed in time!

Oh, and none of the schools I'm applying to have supplementals. Score 1 for random good luck!

 

[kaydubs]

I will be out of the country from June 6- Jan.31, except for a few days in late July. So... I need to plan ahead in order to have my application completed in time!

Oh, and none of the schools I'm applying to have supplementals. Score 1 for random good luck!

Wow, really? I'm envious - mine last year all had one :/ At least I made it through 😉 I love seeing the eagerness in this thread Woo 2016!!!

 

[HappyCowsfromCA]

A 2016 class hopeful here. I have a few schools in mind, but I haven't decided for sure yet.

With all my year-older friends and classmates getting accepted and getting all official, I'm starting to freak out a little bit that this is actually becoming REAL in just a couple months. I'm excited! And anxious.

 

[Psorophoraferox]

With all my year-older friends and classmates getting accepted and getting all official, I'm starting to freak out a little bit that this is actually becoming REAL in just a couple months. I'm excited! And anxious.

Right there with ya. A couple months ago I started looking at due dates for applications and such and was mildly traumatized that I am going to be applying, this autumn, for vet school.

Then my pessimistic side kicked in and told me this could be my first application cycle among many, so I shouldn't worry about it too much. Haha. 😀

PS
Welcome to SDN!

 

[HappyCowsfromCA]

PS
Welcome to SDN!

Well thank you! I've been lurking for a little while. I think it's best I get an account now while things haven't quite taken off. 🙂

 

[rayray13]

I just wanted to say, for those of you that are worried about your veterinary experience hours, I only had around 350ish since three knee surgeries kept me confined to a couch for a majority of my school breaks. My pre-vet advisor told me not to apply if I didn't have at least 500 hours, which was the worst possible thing I could have done. I applied to 8 schools, got 4 interviews and was put on three waitlists 🙂xf: haha). So don't let anyone tell you that you have no hope because of a lack of vet experience!

 

[kaydubs]

I just wanted to say, for those of you that are worried about your veterinary experience hours, I only had around 350ish since three knee surgeries kept me confined to a couch for a majority of my school breaks. My pre-vet advisor told me not to apply if I didn't have at least 500 hours, which was the worst possible thing I could have done. I applied to 8 schools, got 4 interviews and was put on three waitlists 🙂xf: haha). So don't let anyone tell you that you have no hope because of a lack of vet experience!

Second this ^! I had nowhere near 500 hours...

 

[nuevaburra]

Second this ^! I had nowhere near 500 hours...

Thanks guys for reassuring us nervous pre-vets. I think I just this week may have topped 100 total. Pretty impressive I think given this was while working and attending graduate school. I will have 300 total by the fall if it kills me, but no more.

 

[HelloNello]

.

 

[TigerWillow]

2016 hopeful! I decided to become a vet senior year after years of deciding what to do in undergrad (went through a whole list) and had to go back to school to take the required prereqs! Hopefully during my "year off" I was able to get enough vet experience.

One vet told me to apply to every single one of the schools in US. Does this advice seem whack?😕

 

[EllieGirl89]

One vet told me to apply to every single one of the schools in US. Does this advice seem whack?😕

It makes my checking account hurt just thinking about it. It's a pretty big waste of resources, IMO, to apply to all the schools. It's expensive, it's time consuming, and in a lot of cases, impossible. Each school has their own pre-reqs, experience requirements, LOR requirements, etc. It's very difficult to meet these requirements for each and every one of the schools.

Go through the VMSAR, or make an Excel spreadsheet on your own of the schools you have, or will have, the requirements for. Include the COA at the schools. Read up on the successful applicants threads here on SDN. Call the schools and ask questions. Then pick the ones that, based on your reasearch, you have the chance of being a competitive applicant at.

Of course, all this is coming from someone who applied to just one school, but really, applying to all of them is a bit excessive. If you want to be safe, pick five or six that you REALLY think you have a good shot at.

 

[deleted387118]

One vet told me to apply to every single one of the schools in US. Does this advice seem whack?😕

I was told by our amazing Pre-Vet Club advisor that if you apply to more than 6 (or 8 in a few situations) you actually hurt your chances. Schools want to know that you want to go there, not that you just want to go anywhere (even if that is the case!) And since both of the schools that I interviewed at (all that I applied that held interviews) asked why I wanted to be there and if the school was my first choice and what I knew about it, I definitely think he had a point.

I agree with the above statement too that its a huge waste of money. It seems like most of the people that get accepted get accepted to multiple, the people that get waitlisted get waitlisted at multiple - that tells me that the schools have similar criteria and if you are going to get in, you will get in.

For the people with less hours - I'd also recommend keep getting them even after you send your VMCAS in and keep track. That way if your lack of experience comes up in the interview (or even if it doesn't) you can tell them that you have continued to work at it. (And on the pessimistic side of things, if you have to reapply (hopefully you don't!), you won't have wasted the time that you could have been improving your next application.)

 

[TigerWillow]

I was told by our amazing Pre-Vet Club advisor that if you apply to more than 6 (or 8 in a few situations) you actually hurt your chances. Schools want to know that you want to go there, not that you just want to go anywhere (even if that is the case!) And since both of the schools that I interviewed at (all that I applied that held interviews) asked why I wanted to be there and if the school was my first choice and what I knew about it, I definitely think he had a point.

I agree with the above statement too that its a huge waste of money. It seems like most of the people that get accepted get accepted to multiple, the people that get waitlisted get waitlisted at multiple - that tells me that the schools have similar criteria and if you are going to get in, you will get in.

For the people with less hours - I'd also recommend keep getting them even after you send your VMCAS in and keep track. That way if your lack of experience comes up in the interview (or even if it doesn't) you can tell them that you have continued to work at it. (And on the pessimistic side of things, if you have to reapply (hopefully you don't!), you won't have wasted the time that you could have been improving your next application.)

Thanks! I really didn't want to apply to all of them. My other vet that I work with told me to treat this round as somewhat of a "practice" round and only apply to the ones I REALLY wanted to be at and just experience it. Just a quick question: does admissions see how many schools you apply to/see your other choices? That will DEFINITELY decide where and how many I apply to!

 

[twelvetigers]

They may be able to see, but it doesn't make them think poorly of you or anything (to my knowledge). If anything, just be prepared to explain why you chose each one. But any less than 5-6 shouldn't even raise any eyebrows.

 

[LetItSnow]

For the people with less hours - I'd also recommend keep getting them even after you send your VMCAS in and keep track. That way if your lack of experience comes up in the interview (or even if it doesn't) you can tell them that you have continued to work at it. (And on the pessimistic side of things, if you have to reapply (hopefully you don't!), you won't have wasted the time that you could have been improving your next application.)

👍

I'd go even further: I'm still spending the same amount of time shadowing after getting accepted. It's just that much more clinical exposure/experience, that much more networking, etc. Obviously you need to balance a schedule, but time-permitting, I don't see any reason to stop getting hours. I'm trying to build connections that will land me summer internships and that sort of thing.

 

[rubygirl]

for the 2015 cycle i applied to CSU, Oregon state, Washington state, Cornell, and Wisconsin, rejected from CSU, and wait listed everywhere else, most of the classes are already ful so i am looking at the next cycle, this time i will apply to CSU, Cornell, WSU, OSU, U of W,Michigan state, Iowa, Virginia Maryland, Ohio, PEI, and Minnesota, fingers crosed that things turn out better this time. last time every one was pretty sure i would get in, clearly they were mistaken, so maybe no with more hours, and moving to idaho and getting more life experiences then living in NH my whole life will help some.
as a side note, i requested eLORs from my evaluators in may so they knew it would be coming then sent the request as soon as VMCAS opened, also i started my personal statement in may and its a good thing b/c once the fall of senior year starts working on personal statements and the like is not very easy.

 

[LetItSnow]

this time i will apply to CSU, Cornell, WSU, OSU, U of W,Michigan state, Iowa, Virginia Maryland, Ohio, PEI, and Minnesota,

I see study opportunities everywhere, sadly. I'd love to look at whether the shotgun approach actually pays off. Deep down I have a suspicion that the acceptance rate isn't significantly different for the folks who apply all over versus just a few schools. But I was a one-school applicant, so it's entirely possible that's just bias.

G'luck this cycle, Rubygirl! I was like you: everyone kept telling me how sure they were I'd get in my first time. It was weird. But things went better the second time around, so stay hopeful.

 

[Ottergirl]

I was told by our amazing Pre-Vet Club advisor that if you apply to more than 6 (or 8 in a few situations) you actually hurt your chances. Schools want to know that you want to go there, not that you just want to go anywhere (even if that is the case!)

I wonder how much of that is correlation, not causation, though. Maybe the applicants who have lower stats (like me) apply everywhere in order to maximize their chances? I'm only applying to the ones that a) I have all the pre-reqs for and b) won't bankrupt me, but if I had a big ole pile of money and a list of pre-reqs a mile long, I'd be applying everywhere too. I want to be a vet, and I bet AdComms value determination as much as selectivity.

(I'm technically still on my in-state wait list for 2015, but apparently the class has already been seated, so: I'm a class of 2016 hopeful. Feels good to say it. 🙂)

 

[deleted387118]

I wonder how much of that is correlation, not causation, though. Maybe the applicants who have lower stats (like me) apply everywhere in order to maximize their chances? )

True - it definitely could be. But that ties into what I was saying in the other paragraph (I think it was the other paragraph of my previous post that I was discussing this): Many people that get offers for the first round get multiple offers. Many people that get waitlisted get waitlisted at multiple. Sure there is always that one school that makes you an offer when the rest waitlist, or one that waitlists you when others reject, but is it really worth going broke to find that one? Which is better - Waiting one year (while you gain experience and get paid for some job) to not apply to as many and still get accepted, or spend tons of money to apply to every school hoping to get into one even if its far away/not your favorite program (or one of your favorites)?

And I know that one year seems like eternity especially when all you have wanted was to be a vet. I only have 3 years (and two weeks!) left and I can't wait. But is that one extra year worth the extra money?

 

[hintofblue]

And I know that one year seems like eternity especially when all you have wanted was to be a vet. I only have 3 years (and two weeks!) left and I can't wait. But is that one extra year worth the extra money?

I think this is something that varies from person to person.

Personally, I am absolutely willing to apply a second (and maybe third) time. I would much rather have another year to get experience than jump into 2x the debt (my IS is significantly cheaper than any OOS school I've looked at).

But I have friends who look at me like I have three heads when I tell them that. To them, the thought of applying more than once is absurd. I know several that are actually applying to grad schools or other professional schools at the same time. If vet school doesn't take them on try 1, they will simply move on.

 

[bbeventer]

I think this is something that varies from person to person.

Personally, I am absolutely willing to apply a second (and maybe third) time. I would much rather have another year to get experience than jump into 2x the debt (my IS is significantly cheaper than any OOS school I've looked at).

But I have friends who look at me like I have three heads when I tell them that. To them, the thought of applying more than once is absurd. I know several that are actually applying to grad schools or other professional schools at the same time. If vet school doesn't take them on try 1, they will simply move on.

This concept is beyond me. I am on my second application cycle. If I don't get in this round I will attend grad school, then reapply to vet school. lol. They will never be rid of me

 

[deleted387118]

I think this is something that varies from person to person.

Personally, I am absolutely willing to apply a second (and maybe third) time. I would much rather have another year to get experience than jump into 2x the debt (my IS is significantly cheaper than any OOS school I've looked at).

But I have friends who look at me like I have three heads when I tell them that. To them, the thought of applying more than once is absurd. I know several that are actually applying to grad schools or other professional schools at the same time. If vet school doesn't take them on try 1, they will simply move on.

Oh yea - I would have definitely applied at least three times before considering another field. (And not blamed anyone who applied more than that for doing so) But we were talking about applying to ALL of the schools, versus 2-10 which seems to be the norm. No doubt that this still varies person to person. The question was, should someone apply to ALL 28 US schools per a mentor's advice.

And I'm definitely not saying apply before you think you are ready. (I did and I was fortunate enough to get in!) I'm just saying that applying to ALL seems like a waste no matter what your stats.